It was my last doctor’s appointment, the oncologist. I had already met with him before my surgeries so I knew what he was going to recommend.What I didn’t know was how that appointment would test me.

I was 21 days past my 3rd surgery and I felt physically better than I had in a very long time. I was still in pain and felt tired easily, but I wasn’t facing anymore surgeries. I felt confident as my husband drove me to the doctor’s office.

It still causes a flutter in my stomach every time we pull into that parking lot. Two of my doctors, my mammograms, biopsies and all my surgeries have been located in the same building. I have to take a deep breath before I can get out of the car.

As we got off the elevator I turned the wrong way and strode off confidently until my husband caught up with me and turned me around. As we entered the office I prepared myself for the fear energy that I knew permeated the room. After a brief interaction with the receptionist we found seats and waited for my name to be called.

An elderly woman with a walker sat down across from me, she pulled out a bottle of water but her arthritic hands couldn’t twist off the cap. I gently slid into the seat next to her and asked if I could help. She graciously accepted and we exchanged a few words about how difficult those little caps can be.

It felt good to be of service.

As I moved back to my seat the woman next to me told me how she also sometimes struggled with those caps and I agreed that some were harder than others. We engaged in idle chit chat and the next thing I know she is pulling out a giant pill container from her purse to show me how organized she is about her medications. I can hear the fear in her voice. She is doing everything she can.

The nurse calls my name and we follow her back to the scale, apparently I am feeling better because I have gained back 2 of the 10 pounds I lost. My vitals are all good and she asks if I had 2 lumpectomies. “No I actually had 3”, I reply. She responds with a wow and pokes around on the computer trying to find the reports from all of them.

After finishing with the computer she tells us the doctor will be in shortly as she leaves the room.

It wasn’t long before the doctor came in introducing himself and shaking our hands. He doesn’t remember that I was here before but I don’t care because this is going to be short and sweet, write me the prescription and away I go. He introduces the young woman with him as his PA and shares that she graduated just a week ago. She smiles brightly as we congratulate her.

The doctor is leaning on the exam table shuffling through the papers in my file. “You had a lumpectomy?” he asks without looking up. “Well actually 3 lumpectomies and a lymph node taken out”, I reply. He asks when and I rattle off the dates. I know them by heart. He shuffles through the papers, every so often reading a line softly out loud to himself.

Still leaning on the table he looks over his glasses at me and asks about radiation. “I have decided not to do radiation”, I say proudly.

He stops shuffling the papers and asks why. “I don’t feel it is right for me”, I answer.

I worked through all that after my visit with the radiation doctor and feel confident in my decision. I assume these are just routine questions that he is asking before he writes the prescription. After all he is the oncologist and has nothing to do with radiation.

I was blindsided by what happened next.

He straightened up, looked across the room at me and said “You’re making a big mistake. You have to have radiation.”

But I’m not giving in so easily. “I don’t want to do radiation”, I tell him.

“You had to have 3 surgeries and you had a micro-invasion. Radiation is safe these days, there are no side effects”, he says sternly. When I bring up the brittle ribs and lung damage that can come from radiation he replies that those are very minimal side effects.

They don’t sound minimal to me.

He invites me over to the exam table. Now he is right next to me, in my space, determined to change my mind about radiation. He kept hammering away at me; at least 3 times he said if I were his sister he would tell me to do radiation. He listens to my heart and lungs, while telling me more reasons why I should change my mind.

I can feel the energy get out of control and I start to doubt myself.

I thought I was over the scary stuff. This was just supposed to be an in and out prescription writing visit. What happened?

I’m not ready to give in just yet.

I ask him about the odds of recurrence. The radiation doctor had told me but I wanted to hear it from this doctor. He confirms that if a woman doesn’t do radiation there is a 40% chance of recurrence of breast cancer.

Now it was my turn to look him straight in the eye. “Doesn’t that mean that if a woman doesn’t do radiation there is a 60% chance she will NOT have a recurrence?”

He didn’t seem prepared for that kind of logic. Again he made the case for radiation, this time with a much more urgent approach.

I assured him I would be doing the treatment he recommended so I would be doing something preventative. He said it would be more effective if I had radiation first.

He mistook my lack of further engagement for a concession and began to encourage me to stop downstairs and make an appointment with the radiation doctor. Her office was right there on the first floor and I could just stop in and make an appointment on my way out of the building.

He finally authorized the prescription I had come in for and shook hands as he left the room. His PA told me that the prescription had already been transmitted to the pharmacy and showed us the way out.

I got off the elevator at the first floor and walked right past the radiologist office without stopping.

It’s kind of sad that doctors push certain meds and treatments so hard. You made the right decision for you. Good for you for sticking to your decision! I’m stubborn too. Who says stubbornness can’t help scare off any further problems? I have no doubt that there are many people who will continue to pray for your permanent freedom from cancer. HUGS!

Hi Melanie,
I believe you made the right decision not to have the radiation therpy.
My aunt had breast cancer behind her nipple. Once removed she had clear margins the first surgery. Radiation was recommened and she followed through. A few months later she had a cough that lead to shortness of breath. It turned out her lungs were impaired and she was placed on oxygen. My aunt passed last year and I believe it was from the concentrated radiation on her breast and lung area. She had never had any lung issues prior to the radiation treatment.
Follow your gut/ instincts and I believe there are times when stubborn is a good thing.
You rock Melanie!! Thanks for sharing your journey.

My heart goes out to you. My health care offers an incentive for jumping thru preventative care. I intuitively trust the naturopath who I have been seeing, even though my health care plan does not cover a naturopath. But there is a large financial incentive for having a MD evaluate my health yearly. I have a difficult time navigating the traditional path, but like yourself my stubborn streak gets me thru it all! Lots of smiling and nodding

Hell yea! I love that you stood your ground. Hello?! 60% is better than 40%!! Good logic. I vote you find a different doctor and get a second opinion. WTF?! They can’t FORCE you to do something you don’t want to do. It’s YOUR choice! I hope you can find someone better who resonates and actually LISTENS to you! <3 Love & Light

Hi, been reading your reports from the beginning… AND, admire how you handled your cancer scare. I have gone through many of your procedures myself and feel that perhaps my experiences re radiation might help.
Very soon after the operation I had 3 weeks of radiation – without problems. I had confidence in my doctors and felt guided (by my higher self and guides) to do so…

I also felt it was best to not worry or dread further tests – since any worry can create the vibrations that will draw our fears to us. I am sure you are aware of this. My surgery and treatment was over 5 years ago with no trauma, no burning nor radiation problems. Matter of fact, I was surprised how fast and safe it was. Hope this will be of help to you…. Much blessing to you and yours…Teri

They have to do what they learn, thinking it’s always for the best. I think my husband’s oncologist il has been around awhile,because when Rich told him he would not do chemo or radiation, he just said “ok”. Mind you, my husband is older than you, so maybe that is why your doctor made the case for radiation. I know you know the odds, you areally a smart cookie. This decision was based on research and intuition. Doctors are not used to that.

OMG…God bless you for you standing in your power. I can imaging it took all you had to face the Western Medical Model bully and say no, not for me. Too many women do not have your courage and are pushed into chemo or radiation with threats. I have been in the room as an advocate for my friend as the PA told her if you do not do this we will not continue to be your doctor. I even had one friend refuse and the doctor called her insurance company and tried to get her health insurance cancelled. Keep telling your story ,we all need to hear it. Wishing your excellent health and continued stubbornness. God Bless you.